


Morning

by Tarashima



Series: Let us come home to stay [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga), Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS, Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Character Analysis, Domestic Bliss, Fluff and Angst, Gen, I'm just playing however I please, M/M, Not Beta Read, but puzzle and datastorm and star is canon in this universe, or ish at least, ships are either in focus or in the background, they won't be tagged unless mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:21:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22753162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarashima/pseuds/Tarashima
Summary: In the Duelist household of 7 people, Atem couldn't possibly be happier with his, no, with all their lives. He wasn't sure if having to deal with an ex-cyberterrorist on his own on a quiet morning could, or should, be included in that happiness.Or stoic pharaoh has to deal with a boyfriend he's never properly interacted with before.
Relationships: Atem/Mutou Yuugi, Fujiki Yuusaku/Revolver | Kougami Ryouken
Series: Let us come home to stay [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1635949
Comments: 14
Kudos: 81





	Morning

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, and welcome to the first drabble of the cross-over universe no one asked for. 
> 
> With all the pain the Yu-Gi-Oh! shows have put me through while watching, I've never stopped thinking "how about we just put all these precious protagonists in a happy household together and throw canon out of the window?", which with the help of artists having similar thoughts got tons of fuel for ideas and headcanons, resulting in what I personally call "sandbox au", which is basically me bending all the rules and ignoring parts of the canon stories not being beneficial for the characters' happiness. All these precious boys deserve all the happiness so why not let them experience it together?
> 
> As I'm posting this first part, I still haven't finished ALL the spinoffs, but I love them all, and especially the protagonists. And in true "friendship is magic" á la Yu-Gi-Oh, I'm letting them all live in the same house. Things aren't fluffy and sunshine all the time, of course, but they can get through it all together.
> 
> I hope you have fun reading ♥

Atem had never needed an alarm clock to wake up; his body was set on starting the day at five am. It had been problematic in the beginning when he and Yuugi didn’t share a body anymore; Yuugi wasn’t the morning type and preferred to sleep in, at least for a few more hours compared to Atem. Being a spirit unable to sleep had left him with all too much time to contemplate over his existence in this world, and while it had been melancholic all too often, it had still felt manageable. Having his own body meant having his own needs, and it had been clear almost right away that he and Yuugi did not have the same circadian rhythm. It had been difficult to adapt to when they shared Yuugi's small room and small bed.

But in this household? Living with not just Yuugi but five more family members in a house big enough for all of them and their interests? Sleeping in a bed big enough for three people? He had never been more relaxed ever before, and neither had Yuugi. 

It was a dream come true. 

Atem gave Yuugi a careful peck on his forehead so to not wake him up, before leaving the bed. After taking a short shower and getting dressed, he went downstairs to the kitchen to start preparing breakfast for everyone. 

And stopped dead in his tracks just as he entered, as he saw someone else was already there, someone who wasn’t living in the house. 

Kougami Ryouken was leaning against the kitchen sink, a cup of newly-made coffee in his hand. He was dressed in sweatpants that barely reached his ankles and a tank top, hair still messy after a night’s sleep. Atem frowned a little. He knew Yuusaku had had his boyfriend over the day before but they’d kept to themselves in Yuusaku’s room. He hadn't expected Ryouken to spend the night. 

Ryouken flinched as Atem entered but not enough to spill his coffee. “Oh, I didn’t think anyone else would be up just yet.” 

Atem wasn’t sure how to respond; if he’d had a choice in the matter, talking with Ryouken wasn’t one he’d wanted to consider, at least not when they were alone. 

“I always get up at this time.” He said, trying to at least be polite but failed, believing he still sounded a bit too dismissively. 

He looked at the coffee machine, where a full pot had been made just now, and Ryouken followed his gaze, looking at the pot himself before turning his head back to Atem. 

“I usually get up at this time as well. I wasn’t sure if making coffee was okay, but I figured that perhaps more of you than just Yuusaku drinks it.” He took another sip of the coffee and tilted his head slightly. 

Now that, Atem didn’t feel like responding to. He could’ve asked how Ryouken had found his way around the kitchen good enough to make coffee, but he let it slip; coffee making wasn’t exactly a crime, and half the household drank coffee in the morning as well as during the day. And Ryouken wasn’t a complete stranger. Although Atem didn't feel comfortable to do small talk or even be alone with Ryouken, he didn’t exactly want to chase him out of the kitchen either, or wish for him to go away. So instead, he stayed quiet while started getting things out of the cupboards to prepare the breakfast rice. 

Ryouken, unfortunately, was in the way of taking out the rice cooker. 

"Can you…?" Atem said, clearly dismissive now. Ryouken moved immediately without Atem having to finish the sentence, looked around the kitchen, before he sat down at the table, looking out of the window while sipping on his coffee. They remained silent as Atem rinsed the rice.

He glanced quickly at Ryouken who was now looking out of the kitchen window, and he sighed mentally, this had turned awkward fast. 

Atem couldn’t really say he liked the man. They hadn’t met more than once, back when Yuusaku had brought him home for the first time and introduced him as his boyfriend so it wasn't like he actually knew the guy. The atmosphere, however, had turned all too awkward when they’d all learned that Ryouken was once a cyberterrorist, ready to blast the entire network and have possibly millions of lives on his conscious, all for the sake of destroying an A.I. that _might’ve_ been a danger to humanity.

Which in Atem's book couldn't easily be understood nor forgiven. 

And though he felt bad about it, he still couldn't stop the question in his head: What could Yuusaku possibly see in the guy? Because Atem had a hard time imagining it was solely because of his looks, and Atem could definitely not deny that Ryouken was handsome. 

Those eyes, though… those weren't the eyes of someone lenient and kind. They were too sharp and too dark, despite their light blue colour, showing a soul with too much remorse, too much weight in a metaphorical backpack. The slight scowl on his face didn't help. Not to mention the terrorist thing...

Yuugi had told him the relationship between Yuusaku and Ryouken was complicated but how their affection went deep because of it. He hadn't elaborated on what he'd meant, evidently because of Yuusaku's privacy, but if Yuugi said it was okay, it should be okay. And Yuugi had had no problem interacting with Ryouken the few times Ryouken had been visiting them so far. Atem’s heart fluttered at the thought of Yuugi's kindness and how much he admired it, had learned so much from it.

It didn't mean it came as easily for him as it did for Yuugi, though. 

Atem had finally finished the rice and put it in the cooker, turning it on. He glanced at Ryouken again, still not wanting a talk but a need of saying _something_ had started to grow, despite that. 

"I know you mean a lot to Yuusaku," he started, making Ryouken flinch for real this time, as he'd been deep in thoughts, "and Aibou trust you, so you're always free to visit us, of course." 

Ryouken gave him a small nod and opened his mouth as to reply, but Atem beat him to it. "That doesn't mean _I_ trust you. I trust Yuugi's judgement and Yuusaku's feelings for you, but you better not break their trust or heart." 

Atem barely noticed how his voice had turned darker and darker the more he'd talked, his old domineering side taking over. Which hadn't been his intention but it was something he rarely had a need to control when talking with others. Because modern life or not, he had still been a pharaoh once. 

Ryouken didn't seem to be intimidated and instead squinted his eyes. "Was that a threat?" 

Atem crossed his arms, as he decided to continue down this road. "Take it as a warning. I care too much about Yuusaku to see him get hurt by someone he loves." 

He had been prepared for a challenging reply, like how Atem had no right to dictate over Ryouken, or perhaps a scoff at the warning, finding it ridiculous or even exaggerations. 

Atem was _not_ prepared for the subtle inhale and eyes flashing with something even darker before the scowl deepened and made Ryouken look... sombre?

Ryouken turned his head away from Atem, and Atem wasn't sure if he should follow up his words and if he did, with what. 

"I've already hurt him, too many times," Ryouken said after a long while of silence, voice so low it was almost a whisper, and his shoulders slumped. “I honestly still don’t know what he sees in me.” 

Something stirred in Atem’s chest and he wasn’t sure what it was. His first impulse was to be angry with the man because this didn’t help Ryouken’s case at all; didn’t Yuusaku deserve someone better, then? Someone who would _never_ hurt him? 

But Ryouken’s eyes told him Ryouken believed the same thing, and Atem could instead feel a ping of guilt for, clearly, touching a sensitive subject. 

He wasn’t sure if he should push the matter at all, but…

“Has Yuusaku forgiven you?" 

Long fingers clenched around the cup and Atem almost wanted to reprimand Ryouken to not break it. 

"I don't deserve his forgiveness but he gave it to me anyway." Ryouken's voice was still low but now sounding harder. He was silent for a few more seconds before he relaxed the tense hold around the cup, shaking his head, leaning back in the chair. "I don't know why I'm saying all this, but since you wanted an answer, well, there you go." 

Atem really wanted to push it now, this could take more than one turn and he wasn't comfortable with any of them. 

"So it's clear you did something bad enough to make it questionable whether Yuusaku should forgive you or not, was that a direct or indirect consequence from your time as a terrorist?" 

Fuck, now _that_ wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind when Atem wanted to interrogate Ryouken a bit more, or at least not approach like this, right now. He had never really heard what kind of crimes Ryouken had made back then, at least not in details. He had made the conclusion that Yuusaku had been on the other side, trying to stop whatever horrible plans Ryouken had been up to. Ryouken hadn't managed to fulfil them, obviously, or else Yuusaku couldn't possibly have forgiven him. Yuusaku was many things, but he wasn't stupid. With the exception of Yuugi, Atem had never met someone so young yet so brilliant. 

It was clear Ryouken wasn't comfortable with the harsh questioning, with how his teeth clenched and the slow but sharp inhale. 

"Let me ask something, or else I won't answer your question." 

Atem frowned his eyebrows. Did Ryouken actually believe he was in a position to make demands? But Ryouken didn’t seem to care.

"How much has Yuusaku said about his past? Or rather, how much are you aware of?" 

Atem was taken aback, surprised over the nature of Ryouken's question. Ryouken's voice had been low, on the brink of threatening but judging by his eyes filled with anguish, Atem couldn't say it had been an active try to intimidate him. And especially not in combination with what Ryouken was asking for, a question that was more than fair. So he answered.

"Not much, I know he suffered a lot from nightmares when we moved in all of us together but it got better when he started to sleep in the garage with Yuusei. I don't know why he had them in the first place and why he gets them whenever he sleeps alone. And I don't know why he doesn't like duelling like the rest of us do." 

Ryouken made a small nod. "Then I won't say anything he hasn't mentioned. All I can say is that I'm the reason for everything that has happened to him, that it’s my fault how he has those nightmares and doesn’t like duelling. And whatever I did to try and help him so to ease the guilt inside of me and not let him break, wasn't enough, and will never be enough to atone for _any_ of it. It doesn’t matter what Yuusaku says." 

Now he really couldn't say if he was angry, or if he wanted to be, all Atem could say was that he was conflicted. Because while he was absolutely appalled by Ryouken's confession, as vague as it was, he appreciated that Ryouken cared so much, that he'd acknowledged his deeds and wanted to fix them, how deeply he cared for Yuusaku to put him before anything else in Ryouken’s life, perhaps had done for a long time. It was no wonder that Yuugi had, apparently, found it enough to forgive Ryouken for his past actions. 

_“It’s complicated, Other me, they have a long history together and their lives have taken so many different turns for the worse. But Yuusaku-kun really loves Ryouken-kun, and Ryouken-kun really loves Yuusaku-kun as well. They bring out the best in each other, and treat each other so well, just like you and me. I’m happy Yuusaku-kun has Ryouken-kun in his life like this.”_

Atem remembered Yuugi’s words from the week before, as Yuusaku had been dropped off after what he could only assume was a date, and he’d admitted he wasn’t entirely sure about Ryouken’s and Yuusaku’s relationship. The explanation hadn’t been enough to stave off Atem’s uneasiness, but he hadn’t raised an eyebrow when Ryouken had visited yesterday. And Yuusaku had looked happy having Ryouken there, as subtle as Yuusaku was with his facial expressions. And now when he thought more about it, wasn't this the first night in a long while where Yuusaku had actually slept in his _own_ room, in his own bed, instead of the garage with Yuusei? 

He shook his head. Perhaps he _should_ do an honest try to give Ryouken a _real_ chance, not because Yuugi would want it, but because the man deserved _that_ much at least. 

Atem heard a ping behind him, as the rice cooker signalled it was done. It gave him an idea.

“Hey,” he said, trying his best to keep his voice more neutral now, “do you know how to make onigiri?” 

Ryouken looked up, face going from something sad to a more confused expression.

“I… really don’t. I rarely cook, and if I do, it’s when Yuusaku…” 

He stopped himself, lips tightened, ears suddenly getting a shade of red. 

Atem could barely stop a chuckle from escaping him and he didn’t know what he found more amusing: the fact that this stoic ex-terrorist couldn’t cook, or how he only did it for Yuusaku. 

Atem took out a ladle and scooped up some of the rice into a small bowl, put it on the table. He then took out some smaller bowls of different kind of fillings from the refrigerator, along with another bowl of water and a plate, and put it all on the table, before he sat down across of Ryouken. 

“It’s not all too difficult, wet your hands and then scoop some rice into your hand, then use your thumb to make a crater in it. After that, you put in some filling, add a little more rice to the top and squeeze it together with your palms into onigiri. And then you just wrap some seaweed around it and you’re done.” 

He demonstrated the steps while explaining and Ryouken watched him carefully. Atem put the finished onigiri on the plate and started on a second one. Ryouken did seem to hesitate but he followed Atem’s instructions, making an onigiri on his own. It didn’t have the nice triangular shape as Atem’s had and looked more like a messy ball, but it was a good try nonetheless, with not too much filling or too much rice or not squeezed enough. 

“There you go,” he said, giving Ryouken an encouraging nod. Ryouken nodded back, his face not as tense as just a few minutes ago, and he didn’t hesitate this time when doing his second onigiri. Soon enough, they’d together managed to fill the plate with onigiri for breakfast as well as lunch for the students in the household. When Atem had told Ryouken that Yuusaku would need lunch as well, he’d been even more careful and deliberate when working, and had managed to make three really good-looking onigiris separately from the others. Atem gave him a small bento box and Ryouken had gently put them inside. Warmth had grown a little in Atem’s chest seeing that, as he’d gotten the confirmation that Ryouken did care extra when it came to Yuusaku.

Atem was busy making the shrimps and vegetables while Ryouken was handling a pan with small sausages on the stove when Yuuma and Yuuya came into the kitchen. 

“Good morning, Atem-san!” Yuuma said, as he jumped more than walked to a chair and sat down, immediately picking up an onigiri and took a good bite of it, while Yuuya sat down on the other side, digging into the plate of pancakes Atem had put there just a little while ago. 

“Some of these rice balls look different, Atem-san,” Yuuma suddenly said with his mouth full of rice, “they look messy.”

“I didn’t do all of them, I got help from Ryouken,” Atem said, nodding towards Ryouken, who only gave Yuuma a small nod as confirmation. 

Yumma's eyes doubled in size. "I didn't know you could cook, Kougami-san." 

"Please don't call me that, Ryouken is okay. And it’s just onigiri." Ryouken's voice didn't really sound annoyed, but it wasn't that kind either. It should've been awkward, or at least tense, but Yuuma just blinked, before he smiled bashfully, and continued to eat. 

"They taste good, Ryouken-san", he said, and to that, Ryouken smiled a little, at least enough for it to reach his eyes. 

Yuuya never really ate anything else besides his pancakes in the morning but now, he looked between Ryouken and the onigiris, before taking one of Ryouken’s, one with bonito flakes, and carefully took a bite, chewing thoughtfully, and then smiled. “They do taste good, Ryouken-san.” 

Ryouken nodded at Yuuya, clearly appreciating the comment, before turning back to the stove to finish the sausages. Atem smiled as well, appreciating how relaxed the air was, just like any other morning.

Something akin to a zombie stepped into the kitchen, its walk slow and eyes barely opened. But Yuusaku didn’t need to watch his step, he found his way easily and slumped against Ryouken, leaning his head on Ryouken’s shoulder. Ryouken’s arm sneaked its way around Yuusaku’s waist, holding him up, and leaned his own head on top of Yuusaku’s. 

Atem felt a tug at his heart. Only now did Atem understand what Yuugi had meant when he’d said that Yuusaku’s and Ryouken’s affection went deep. Yuusaku was completely relaxed in Ryouken’s grip and Ryouken held him with delicacy, moving carefully so to not disturb his boyfriend. 

“Do you want coffee, love?” Atem heard him said in a low voice, with Yuusaku only making a half-hearted nod as a reply. 

Atem smiled. It was definitely too early to say he trusted Ryouken completely, but Atem could at least say he trusted him more now, and he was starting to feel convinced that Ryouken was, indeed, good for Yuusaku. And that was more than enough at the moment. 

  
~The end~


End file.
